Just finished watching the Biathlon world cup today which was won by Ole Einar Bjorndalen. At 38 years of age, his 93rd Individual world cup victory. He has more world cup victories than any athlete in any sport. He has now won at least 1 world cup race every year for 17 consecutive years. His medal record is unbelievable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole_Einar_Bjørndalen
I know he has been mentioned here before, but after his win today, thought he might be worth another mention. Interestingly, in the press conference afterwards, the question was posed to him: " After many months without a win and such a long career, did you ever think of giving up?" I love his answer “I am very motivated because I like my sport, I like training really hard and I will never give up”.
Ole Einar is a beast. I remember him from the local xc-skiing competioions back in Norway in 80ies. He was so fast. I was so happy he was not in my age group. He also ran a 10k under 34 when he was 13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HmUghPP6QA
Heia Norge
If you’re asking whether he’s one of the 50 or 100 greatest then yeah, probably. If you mean is he a serious contender for greatest ever, then no. There are quite a few people who have dominated a sport that has relatively narrow appeal – guys like Karellin, Moses, Alekseyev, maybe Oerter, etc.
As I understand it the only athletes to win gold medals in both winter and summer Olympics were nordic skiers and cyclists. FWIW…does that make them the best all-round athletes? I think it depends on your criteria. Hand-eye coordination doesn’t need to be that great in biathlon compared to other sports?
Looking at wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympians_who_have_won_medals_in_both_the_Summer_and_Winter_Olympics
it does not appear that the group that has won gold at summer and winter games is very meaningful. One of the two was a figure skater who won gold when that event was in the summer games (weird), and then won the event when it was in the winter games. The other was a boxer who later won gold in four man bobsled. So, it was a team sport in an event that was contested by only a handful of countries. These were both in the 1920-30s, when the Olympics were not what they are today. The more modern folks who got medals (not necessarily gold) in summer and winter were speed skaters and cycling sprinters. There is a lot of overlap in the skills needed in those two sports.
This is nothing compared to someone like Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders who excelled at two quite different sports.
Just because it ain’t on ESPN every week, doesn’t mean it has narrow appeal.
XC skiing is one of those “doing sports” not a “watching sport” like Nascar, basketball and such (I haven’t included ice hockey, because it has mass watching appeal, and mass doing appeal). Literally MILLIONS of people participate and compete in XC skiing, just not in Florida, or Texas of California…or on ESPN.
I take your point that lots of others have dominated their sports too, but after a huge number of victories, consistently over a big number of years, the guy has gotta be considered for being the best. Not the best known, or most glamourous or whatever, but for physical exploits he certainly deserves a mention, and serious consideration for best.
There’s a big wide world out there and it ain’t just American sports that get played.
This is nothing compared to someone like Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders who excelled at two quite different sports.
Both are hand eye co-ordination ball sports. Not that different really.
Biathlon. ski like the powers of fury, with a HR that is whirring, not beating, then immediately slow your heart rate down enough to shoot reliably, then ramp it up to max rev’s again and again, all below freezing, in a lycra suit! Far out that’s hard.
I’m not belittleing the others you mention, but Biathlon is seriously hard work. not to mention mentally demanding.
Don’t forget her gold in London 2010 in the TT. Going from Summer Olympic medalist to Winter multi-medalist and back to summer medalist again is something else.